MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Bobby Wilson hit his first home run in more than a year, Jose Berrios bounced back with strong effort on the mound, and the Minnesota Twins beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 on Tuesday night.
Wilson, a journeyman catcher for six different teams in nine major league seasons, hit a slider from St. Louis reliever Luke Gregerson into the left field stands for a two-run homer to cap a three-run seventh inning. It was Wilson’s first major league home run since Sept. 21, 2016 for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Berrios (4-4) surrendered one run on two hits and left after hitting Kolten Wong with a pitch with one out in the eighth. Berrios struck out 10 batters. He had lost three of his past four starts, allowing 18 runs in 18 1/3 innings.
Addison Reed struck out both batters he faced and Fernando Rodney finished his eighth save in 11 chances with a perfect ninth.
Cardinals reliever Brett Cecil (0-1) allowed a double to Logan Morrison to start the seventh. Morrison scored on Byron Buxton’s bunt attempt when Gregerson threw the ball wide of first and into foul territory.
The bullpen wasted another quality outing from rookie right-hander Jack Flaherty, who was recalled from Triple-A earlier in the day with Adam Wainwright going on the disabled list. Flaherty had the longest outing of his eight career major league starts with one run allowed in 5 2/3 innings.
Flaherty’s emergence could be a key factor for the Cardinals with Wainwright and Carlos Martinez on the disabled list. Flaherty was cruising until the sixth when he surrendered three consecutive two-out hits to tie the game.
Wilson was recalled last week when Jason Castro went on the disabled list with a meniscus tear in his right knee. The 35-year-old spent the entire 2017 season in the minors with Oklahoma City in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. He hit seven homers in 75 games while playing for three different major league teams in 2016.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cardinals: Martinez is still rehabbing a strain to his right lat and manager Mike Matheny said it’s unlikely Martinez would be able to return in time to start this weekend at home against Philadelphia.
Twins: 3B Miguel Sano (left hamstring strain) worked out again prior to the game but doesn’t appear close to a return. Manager Paul Molitor said Sano is unable to run at maximum effort.
UP NEXT
Twins right-hander Lance Lynn (1-3, 7.34 ERA) will make his first start against his former team on Wednesday afternoon as the two teams wrap up a two-game series. Lynn allowed four runs in 4 2/3 innings in his last start. St. Louis counters with right-hander Miles Mikolas (5-0, 2.51), who has given up one run or less in four of his last five starts.
